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If you are reading this in English you can thank a veteran. I'm a 4th generation veteran. My children completed high school ROTC and considered enlisting. After all their aunt, my sister, had her office destroyed when the pentagon was hit 9/11. Had she been at her desk she wouldn't be alive today. If ever in any readers lifetime there was a need for a draft it was after 9/11 to fill the ranks of the Texas village idiots fictitious Iraq war. As for my children, I discouraged them from enlisting because the Idiots decision to go into Iraq 2 days after 9/11 didn't pass the smell test with me and I was right.

Now that I have your attention, the National Guard was never intended to fill the void in active duty personnel except in the event of an all out world war. The Idiot and Bugsy Cheney knew a draft would never fly and so it was never seriously considered. Besides the decision to go into Iraq was was based on so many lies and illegalities it would have never stood up to the questioning that a draft would have brought but that the lack of which allowed them to get away with until well into Idiots second term. Every 'Merican was all for gettin' them damn terrorist just as long as my little Johnny and Susie don't have to go fight.

Those that met their obligations and served tour after tour 15 or more months at a time with only a few months downtime in between deserve any and everything they are entitled too and more. They kept a hell of a lot of "do nothing but bitch" people from ever having to face the horrors of war.

I would much rather pay the veterans money than do what the Idiot did which was to directly pay the Iraqis not to shoot at US troops which sums up what the "surge" actually did. It also showed one of the big problems in America which is throw money at it because that will fix anything.

The US is the only industrialized nation not to have some sort of mandatory military service. If someone doesn't want to serve in the military, there are a hell of a lot of non military programs that they could serve in to help within our own borders. Two years of service would certainly add a great deal of maturity and respect for the freedoms.and liberties that US citizens receive. THEY ARE NOT FREE. I think it would do a great deal towards improving voter apathy as well.

Even though I am a veteran, at every election I look around when waiting in line and when I can identify a veteran a go over to them and thank them and shake their hand. In 2004 I did just that to an elderly WWII vet. He had a hat on with the name on a ship that was sunk in Pearl Harbor but raised to fight again. This 80 year old man actually had tears well up in his eyes, something I will never forget.

For the jogger receiving $200 a month, as if that were some huge amount of money anyway, have you ever thought that it may well be a part of their physical therapy? For what veterans are put through to even receive medical benefits and the waiting periods to receive them are such hurdles that many give up.

To repeat: Basically my friend told me he filed so he could get money, and that all his friends were doing this, and he did it because he wanted the extra money, not because he was really disabled. He literally told me he was cheating.

Also, it is pretty sad to say, oh, "$200 isn't a big deal". Since he is in his mid-20s, and likely will live to 70+, $200 *12 months *40 years = $96,000. Multiply that by the servicemen who are cheating, and we can all plainly see that there could be a lot more disability money going to the hundreds of thousands of of truly deserving wounded warriors, but instead is being diluted by false claims.

That said, I again thank you for your service. I hope it was in a position to defend against enemies actually threatening Americans from being free in their own country - such as against the threats of the former Soviet Union.

Even if not, I still thank you for your service and your loyalty to our country and government. I wish our self-serving politicians had served YOU better. I subscribe to the Greek idea: that generals should lead from the FRONT LINES, and politicians and their progeny especially.